Meet Karolina, one of our talented CodeAcademy graduates. After completing the Digital Marketing – PPC and SEO course, Karolina successfully secured a paid internship as a Marketing and Business Operations Intern. With nearly nine years of experience as a Sales Manager, she decided to pivot her career and gain new skills in digital marketing to better understand its impact and apply it to her professional growth.
Marketing and Business Operations Intern @CoinGate
What was your work experience before studying at CodeAcademy?
I worked as a Sales Manager for nearly nine years!
Why did you choose to study at CodeAcademy?
I wanted to gain new knowledge and explore a career change. Since I was looking for a field that would complement my previous experience, I consulted with a CodeAcademy representative, and together we found the program that suited me best.
What were your initial goals when you decided to study at CodeAcademy?
My goal was to understand digital marketing and figure out how it could benefit me professionally and what kind of specialist I could become.
How did you stay motivated during difficult moments?
We received incredible support from our instructor, Jūratė (shoutout to her!). After finishing the course, I also had a great career consultation with Kamilė, a specialist from the Career Center. I believe that an open conversation about my expectations and goals helped Kamilė understand me better, guide me toward the right opportunities, and eventually connect me with potential employers. I won’t lie—toward the end of the course, I kept asking myself daily: What’s next? Where will I work? Did I make the right choice? But once I started receiving multiple job offers, I called Kamilė not just for advice but also to celebrate our shared success!
What did you do to land your first job?
While still studying, I regularly browsed LinkedIn job postings, analyzing job descriptions and the skills employers were looking for. It was discouraging at times because even junior positions often required at least a year of experience. I sent my CV to several agencies requesting an unpaid internship. But after receiving my diploma and scheduling a career consultation, I got incredibly lucky! After our meeting, Kamilė recommended me to several CodeAcademy partner companies, and within a day or two, I started receiving calls from four different companies eager to interview me. I couldn’t stop smiling!
What advice would you give to those looking to switch careers?
Be brave and persistent—don’t let self-doubt hold you back. Your effort directly impacts your success. My goal was to get hired as quickly as possible and put my new skills to work. Since this was an entirely new field for me, I accepted the fact that I might have to start from the bottom and work my way up. And that’s exactly what happened—I turned down a full-time job offer and instead took a paid internship, knowing it was the best decision for me. This choice gave me confidence and set the foundation for my future growth.
